Track-and-field gains momentum heading into championships

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The Shippensburg University men’s and women’s track-and-field teams competed at Kutztown University for the last meet before the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships next weekend.

The traveling athletes had different goals, but the same focus to perform at a high level. Some were looking for PSAC-qualifying times, some a chance to get NCAA national marks and others to just improve and gain momentum heading into the championship meet.

Junior Zarria Williams jumped 5.87 meters (19-03.25 feet) in the long jump, earning a first-place finish. Williams surpassed the NCAA-provisional mark by .22 meters and reached a personal best in the event.

Williams — who competes in both jumps and sprints — believes both squads are ready for the conference championships.

“The jumps squad has been looking great lately. Plenty of PR’s have been coming from both jumpers and sprinters. For sprinters, we are starting to run fast when it matters the most,” Williams said.

Williams — along with many other athletes on the squad — is excited to compete and see how the team performs next weekend.

Freshman Adriana Baxter and junior Cirsten Kelly ran fast when it mattered the most. Baxter ran 7.47 seconds in the 55-meter race, grabbing her last chance PSAC-qualifying time and a third-place finish in the meet. Kelly ran 1:01.68 in the 400-meter race, just meeting the mark by .02 seconds and placing third in the meet.

Rachel Bruno will look to play her part for the Raiders at the conference championships this weekend after earning a PSAC time in the 400 meters at last weekend’s VMI Winter Relays.

Senior Olivia Lee also jumped well in the women’s long jump taking third with a 5.29 meter (17-04.25 foot) jump. Senior Chris Craig ran 22.62 in the 200, taking first in the meet with another PSAC qualifier.

Sophomore Ashley Kerr consistently threw well in the women’s shot put, reaching 12.38 meters for a PSAC-qualifying third-place finish. Kerr also threw in the weight, taking third on a throw of 14.91 meters. Junior Cam Strohe took second in the men’s weight throw with a top distance of 16.81 meters.

The men took fifth through seventh place in the shot put, with sophomore Jacob Gieringer throwing 14.90 meters, followed by freshmen Yobani Moreno reaching 14.82 meters and Strohe throwing 14.80 meters.

This weekend was crucial for SU’s track-and-field programs and allowed for many more entries in the championship meet.

The squads grabbed several more conference-qualifying marks on their path to a ninth consecutive championship for the men and a third consecutive for the women.

The SU squads will now look to grab another PSAC team championship next weekend at Edinboro University.